Sheet-assembling device for folding-machines.



PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

E. H. GbTTRELL. SHEET ASSEMBLING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY28.1904.

3 SHEBTSSHBBT 1.

wizaivewxe T 460 4 PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

E. H. COTTRELL.

SHEET ASSEMBLING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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5 0 9 1 oo 2 V 0 N D E T N E T A P 7 E. H. COTTRELL.

SHEET ASSBMBLING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY28.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Rx mm mm QR Sm N QMN Waemreav UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR H. COTTRELL, OF STCNINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO C. B.COTTRELL & soNs COMPANY, or NEW roux, N. Y., A COR-' PORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

SHEET-ASSEMBLING DEVICE FOR FOLDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed May 28, 1904. Serial No. 101 90- To aZZ whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR HJCoTTRaLL, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stonington, in thecounty of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Sheet-Assembling Devices for Folding-Machines, ofwhich :the following is a specification. The principal object of thisinvention is to collect and assemble together for folding sheets fromdifferent sourcesas, for example, from two printingmachinesin suchmanner that the assemblages consist each of a separate group composed ofsheets from one of said sources having sheets from another of saidsources between them; and the invention consists in the devices andcombinations there of herein described with reference to theaccompanying drawings and hereinafter claimed for such collection andassemblage.

The drawings illustrate two examples of machinery embodying theinvention, in both of which examples sheets cut from a running web and aready-cut sheet taken from a pile are collected and assembled togetherin separate groups for folding together or for any other purpose.

In the example represented in Figures 1 and 2 there is no folding of thesheets before their collection and assemblage,as above mentioned; but inthe example represented in Figs. 4 and 5 a preliminary folding of eachsheet taken from the pile is performed before the collection andassemblage of such sheet into a group with the sheets from the web forfolding together.

Fig, 1 of the drawings represents a side view of such parts of a cuttingand folding machine as are necessary to illustrate the first examplehereinabove referred to; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same parallelwith Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical section parallel with Fig. 2, showingmore plainly some details only imperfectly Similar numerals of referencedesignate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 designates the framing of themachine, and 11 a stationary table supported in said framing and ontowhich the collected and assembled groups of sheets are to be deposited.Near one end of the framing above the table 11 are the stationarybearings for the two shafts 12 of the rotary cutter 13 for cuttingsheets from the running web 14, and near the other end of the framing isa table 15 for supporting the pile 16 of ready-cut sheets which are tobe collected'and assembled into groups with and between the sheets cutfrom the running Web. Below the cutter the framing contains thestationary bearings for the shaft 17 of the cyl inder or drum 17hereinafter referred to as the collecting-cylinder, upon which arecollected into separate groups the sheets from the web 14 and the pile16 to be thereby assembled and deposited upon the table 11.

The collecting-cylinder 17 is represented as of a circumference equal toa sufficient length of web to produce three of the sheets 8, which areto be cut therefrom by successive operations of the cutter 13, and saidcylinder is furnished at equal distances apart on its clr cumferencewith three sets of grippers 21 22 23 for collecting upon it and imposingone upon another thereon sheets cut by the cutter 13 from the web andsheets taken from the pile 16 on the table 15. These grippers are likethose commonly used upon the cylinders of printing and other machinescarried by shafts 18, arranged lengthwise of the cylinder in suitablebearings therein. For the purpose of opening these grippers in theirproper turn to receive the sheets cut from the web there is secured tothe framing 10 at one end of the cylinder by a bracket 19 a stationarycam 24, (shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2 and in full outline in Fig.3,)against which run rollers 25 on the ends of levers 26, provided onthe gripper-shafts outside of the cylinder. The closing of the grippersis effected in a Well-known way (illustrated in Fig. 3) by springs 27.The cylinder, grippers, and cam as thus far described resemble thosewhich are described in my United States Patents Nos. 732,338 and732,339.

For the purpose of opening the grippers in their proper turn forreceiving the sheets brought to them from the pile 16 by theendless-tape carrier 35, provided for the purpose and to be hereinafterfully described, there is-provided a tripping-cam 28,(shown in dottedoutline in Fig. 1 and in full outline in Fig. 2,) over which thegripper-shaft levers 26 pass in the revolution of the cylinder. This cam28 consists of a lateral projection on a lever 29, which works on afixed fulcrum 30 and which'is actuated to move the said cam into and outof operative position by means of a rotary cam 31, Fig. 2, on a shaft32, which is parallel with the shaft 17 of the collectingcylinder andgeared with said shaft, as shown in Fig. 1, by gears 33 34. This cam 31is represented in Fig. 1 as acting upon the lever 29 through a yoke-rod36, connected with said lever.

For the purpose of opening the grippers in their proper turn to releasefrom the cylinder the sheets from the web and the pile which have beencollected and assembled together thereon there is provided atripping-cam 37, (shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1 and in full outlinein Fig. 3,) under which the grippershaft levers pass in the revolutionof the cylinder. This cam 37 consists of a lateral projection on a lever38, which works on a fixed fulcrum 39 and which is actuated to move thesaid cam into and out of its operative position by means of a rotary cam40, Fig. 3, on the shaft 32, before mentioned.

The endless-tape carrier 35, by which the sheets from the pile arecarried to the collecting-cylinder, runs on a roller 41 and tapepulleys42, the shafts of which are journaled in fixed bearings in the framing.Between the several pulleys 42 are a series of supporting-prongs 43,carried by fixed cross-bars 44, the said prongs extending beyond thesaid pulleys and over the cylinder to support the heads of the sheetsbetween the carrier and collecting-cylinder. For taking the sheets fromthe pile and feeding them to the carrier 35 any suitable sheet-feedingdevice may be used. The device represented in the drawings, which servesas well as any other for that purpose, (designated as a whole by thenumeral 45,) is a well-known one which is the subject of Letters PatentNo. 726,386, operated by a rotary cam 46. For taking the sheets from thesupporting-prongs 43 and presenting them to the cylinder-grippers thereare provided upper and lower feed-rollers 47, (see Fig. 2,) and theupper one of which is lifted to release the sheet while the latter istemporarily arrested by a rising and falling stop 49 in a position to betaken by the cylinder-grippers. Between the carrier-roller41 and thefront of the piletable are supports 50, and over said carrierroller 41there are guards 51 to keep down the heads of the sheets as they passonto the carrier. Above the rear portion of the carrier 35 are a set ofendless tapes 52, carried by rollers 53 54, for holding the sheets tothe carrier as they enter thereon.

To provide for the lifting of the upper feedrollers 47, they are carriedby the arms 55 of a rock-shaft 56, which runs in fixed bearings, thesaid rock-shaft 56 being operated by a cam 57 on the shaft 32, said cam,which is shown 'dotted in Fig. 2 and of which Fig. 3* is a separateview, operating through a rod 58, connected with the arm 59 of therock-shaft. The rising and falling stop 49 is carried by a rock-shaft60, which is supported in fixed bearings and on which is an arm 61,connected by a rod 62 with an arm 63 of the rock-shaft 56, saidconnectibn being such that when the roller is raised from a shaftthestop is depressed thereonto. A spring 64, connected with an arm 65 ofthe rock-shaft 56, keeps the roller 66 on the rod 58 in such contactwith the cam 57, which it will be understood serves to operate both theroller 47 and the stop 49.

The parts above described (numbered from 47 to 59) are all familiar tothose skilled in sheet-feeding machinery, and their only novelty in thiscase is in combination with the collecting-cylinder 17 and the mechanismfor producing and controlling the operation of the grippers on saidcylinder.

The gears 33 34 between the collecting-cylinder shaft 17* and thecam-shaft 32 are so proportioned that the cams 31, 40, and 57 make onerevolution for every two-thirds of a revolution of thecollecting-cylinder, and hence it places the cams 28 and 37 in theiroperative positions three times during every two revolutions of thecylinder. Now as each set of grippers is open to receive a sheet 8, cutfrom the web, every time it passes the cam 24, but is only opened toreceive a sheet 16 from the pile every other time it passes the cam 28and only opened for the liberation of the sheets every other time itpasses the cam 37, there are two sheets collected from the web for everyone from the pileviz. first, a sheet from the web; second, a sheet fromthe pile, and, third, a sheet from the web, making a group of threesheets, with the sheet from the pile between the two from the web. Thethree sheets thus forming the group are liberated together from thecylinder, and the group is deposited entire on the table 11. Thecontinued operation of the parts produces a repetition of the productionof the groups of three and the deposit of said groups in regularsuccession each by itself upon the table. In this operation it may beobserved that of every two sheets taken successively from the pile onegoes to one group and the other to another group.

The collection and assembling of the sheets on the cylinder takes placein the following manner: Every set of grippers as it is operated by thecam 24 takes a sheet 8 from the web at the position in which the set ofgrippers 21 are shown in Fig. 2. The operation will be first describedwith reference to the set of grippers 21. After two thirds of arevolution from the position just mentioned the grippers arrive with thesheet so taken from the web in a position to take-a sheet which hasarrived from the pile and the head of which has been properly presentedover the supports 43 in register with the head of the first-taken sheet,the opening of grippers having been produced at the proper time by thecam 28, which has been temporarily placed in the proper position by thecam 57. The grippers, with the two sheets so taken, on arriving again atthe position first mentioned are again opened by the cam 2 1 to takeanother sheet 8 from the web. Three sheets in all are now collected andassembled one upon another upon the cylinder, one sheet from the pilebetween two sheets from the web, and on the arrival of the grippers withsaid three sheets at the cam 37, which has been temporarily placed bythe cam 40 in the proper position, they are opened to liberate theseassembled sheets and deposit them upon the table 1 1. After theassembled sheets have been so released and deposited the same gripperspass the cam 28 without taking a sheet, the said cam having beendepressed from its operative position by the cam 31; but when theyarrive again in the position shown in Fig. 2 they take a new sheet tocommence the repetition of the triple operation described. The sametriple operation takes place with each set of grippers-that is to say,each set first taking a sheet from the web, next taking one coming fromthe pile, afterward again taking one from the web, and finallydepositing the three sheets together on the table in a piled group ofthree, each set of grippers having taken a sheet from the web every timeit passed the point at which the set 21 was presented, but having takenonly one from the pile every other time it passed the point whence thosefrom the pile were presented.

The movements of the cylinders and of the cam-shafts and other shaftsdescribed may be imparted to them at proper relative speeds inanysnitable manner, not necessary to be here described.

In the example of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, by whichthe sheets from the pile are folded once on their way to the collectingcylinder, the essential difference from the described example (shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 3) consists in the interposition of folding devicesbetween the pile-table 15 and the collecting-cylinder. This differencealso involves a change in the organization of the tape-carrier, as willbe understood by a comparison of Figs. 6 and 7. The folding devicerepresented is of a well-known kind, consisting of a stationary slottedplate 67, a folding blade 68, and folding-rollers 69 69 thefolding-blade being carried by a rock-shaft 70, Which is operated by acam 71 (represented in Figs. 5 5*) on the shaft 32, said rock-shafthaving an arm 72, from which is suspended a rod 73, actuated by saidcam. The carrier in this example shown in Figs. 5 and 7 consists ofthree sets of endless tapes 7 L 7 5 76, the tapes 74 running on theroller 41, before described with reference to Fig. 5, on pulleys 78 7980, the tapes running over the folding-roller 69, under thefolding-roller 69 and on the pulleys 42, before described, and the tapes76 running on pulleys 82 83. The tapes 7 L receive the sheets one at atime from the feeding device 45 and carry them over the slotted plate 67and folding-rollers. The tapes 76 receive the head and forward parts ofthe sheet which project beyond the folding-rollers until the folding ofthe sheet by the action of the folding-blade takes place, when the sheetbeing carried between the folding-rollers passes on therefrom along thetapes 75 to the collecting-cylinder in the same manner as the unfoldedsheets before described with reference to Fig. 2, the fold of the sheetbeing taken by the grippers of said cylinder. Except that by thefirst-described example of my invention the sheets from the pile areunfolded and in the last-described example they are folded, theoperation of collecting and assembling the sheets from the web and fromthe pile and depositing them so assembled on the table is the same, andtherefore need not be again described. To enable this operation to betraced with reference to Fig. 5 by the description of Fig. 2, I havedesignated the corresponding parts of the two figures by the samenumerals.

When the groups of sheets assembled upon the table 11, as abovedescribed, are to be folded, that may be done by any suitable foldingdevices to which they may be carried along the table 11f0r example, byfolding devices such as are described in my United States Letters PatentNo. 732,338 and any suitable carrier.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a machine for collecting andassembling sheets, the combination of two sources of sheet-supply, arotary collecting-cylinder, and means for presenting sheets from saidtwo sources to said cylinder in greater number from one of said sourcesthan from the other for assemblage on said cylinder in a group.

2. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combination oftwo sources of sheet-supply, a rotary collecting-cylinder and means forpresenting to said cylinderin regular succession a sheet from one ofsaid sources and a plurality of sheets from the other of said sourcesfor assemblage thereon in a group.

3. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationwith a sheet collecting and assembling device, of means for presentingin regular succession to said device two sheets from one of two sourcesand one sheetfrom the other to be thereby assembled together in a group.

4. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combination oftwo sources of sheet-supply, a rotary collecting-cylinder and means forpresenting sheets to said cylinder and assembling them thereon in aseries of three consisting of, first a sheet from one source, second asheet from the other source, and third a sheet from said one source, andmeans for liberating and delivering the series together in a group.

5. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combination oftwo sources of sheet-supply, a sheet collecting and assembling device,means for presenting alternately to said device a sheet from one of saidsources and a plurality of sheets from the other of said sources, and atable arranged to receive the so collected and assembled sheets from thesaid sheet collecting and assembling device.

6. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combination ofa table and a rotary collectingcylinder for collecting a plurality ofsheets and assembling them one upon another on its periphery andimposing the so assembled sheets on the table, and means for presentingto said cylinder sheets from one and another of two sources ofsheet-supply in regular succession.

7. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combination ofa web-supply, adifferentsource ofsheet-supply, a rotarycollecting-cylinder and means for presenting sheets from the web-supplyand from the different source of sheet-supply in regular succession tothe said cylinder for assemblage thereon.

8. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combination ofa cut-sheet supply, a different source of sheet-supply, a rotarycollecting-cylinder and means for presenting sheets from the source ofcut-sheet supply and from the different source of sheetsupply in regularsuccession to said cylinder for assemblage thereon.

9. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combination ofa web-suppl y, a cut-sheet supply, a rotary collecting-cylinder andmeans for presenting sheets from the web-supply and cut-sheet supply inregular succession to said cylinder for assemblage thereon.

10. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a web-supply, means for cutting sheets therefrom, a cutsheet supply,a rotary collecting-cylinder and means for presenting sheets from thetwo supplies in regular succession to said cylinder for assemblagethereon.

11. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof different sources of sheet-supply, a sheet collecting and assemblingdevice, means for presenting sheets from one and another of said sourcesin regular succession to said sheet collecting and assembling device,and a sheet-folding device interposed between one source of sheet-supplyand the collecting and assembling device for folding the sheets fromthat source on their way to the collecting and assembling device.

12. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof different sources of sheet-supply, a rotary collectingcylincler,means for presenting sheets from said sources in regular succession tosaid cylinder for assemblage thereon and a sheet-folding deviceinterposed between one of said sources of sheet-supply and the cylinder.

13. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a source of cut-sheet supply, a different source of sheetsupply, asheet collecting and assembling device, means for presenting sheets fromthe said sources in regular succession to said sheet collecting andassembling device, and a folding device interposed between the source ofcutsheet supply and the sheet collecting and assembling device.

' 14:. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, thecombination of a source of web-sheet supply, a source of cut-sheetsupply, a sheet collecting and assembling device, means for presentingsheets from said sources in regular succession to the sheet collectingand assembling device and a folding device interposed between the sourceof cut-sheet supply and the sheet collecting and assembling device.

15. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a source of cut-sheet supply, a different source of sheetsupply, arotary collecting-cylinder, means for presenting sheets from saidsources in regular succession to said cylinder for assemblage thereon,and a folding device interposed between the source of cut-sheetsupplyand the cylinder.

16. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a source of web-sheet supply, a source of cut-sheet supply, a rotarycollecting-cylinder, means for presenting sheets from said sources inregular succession to the cylinder for assemblage thereon, and a foldingdevice interposed between the source of cut-sheet supply and thecylinder.

17. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a rotary collecting-cylinder, a gripper thereon, means for openingthe gripper at predetermined intervals during the rotary movement of thecylinder, two sources of sheet-supply, and means for feeding sheets inregular succession one from one of said sources and a plurality from theother of said sources to the gripper for collection and assemblage onthe cylinder.

18. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, thecombination-of a table, a rotary collecting-cylinder, a gripper thereon,two sources of sheet-supply, means for feeding the sheets to the gripperfrom one and the other of said sources of supply in regular successionfor assemblage on the cylinder, means for opening the gripper to receivethe sheets, and means for opening the gripper to impose the assembledsheets in a group on the table.

19. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a table, a rotary collecting-cylinder, a plurality of grippersthereon, two sources of sheet-supply, means for feeding sheets from oneand the other of said sources in regular succession to the grippers,means for opening each gripper at predetermined intervals to receive thesheets from the sources of supply and means for opening each gripperafter the sheets are assembled on the cylinder for imposing theso-assembled sheets in a group on the table.

20. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a source of web-sheet supply, a source of cut-sheet supply, a sheetcollecting and assembling device,

means for presenting sheets in regular succession from one and the otherof said sources to said sheet collecting and assembling device, and acutting device interposed between the source of web-sheetsupply and thesheet collecting and assembling device.

21. In a machine for collecting and assembling sheets, the combinationof a source of web-sheet supply, a different source of sheet supply, arotary collecting-cylinder, means for presenting sheets in regularsuccession from one and the other of said sources to said cylinder forassemblage thereon, and a cutting device interposed between the sourceof web-sheet supply and the cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of May,

EDGAR H. CO'ITRELL. Witnesses:

ALIDA M. EGBERT, FREDK. HAYNES.

